The present invention is directed to a novel method of manufacturing a chewing gum and chewing gum base. The method comprises cold blending chewing gum base. In one embodiment of the present invention, a gum base having a high fat and oil content (hereinafter "HFO" gum base) is cold blended with a conventional low fat gum base. In another embodiment of the present invention, a HFO gum base is cold blended with a non-tack gum base. The present invention is further directed to a method of manufacturing a chewing gum wherein, in addition to cold blending the gum base, other chewing gum ingredients are mixed with the gum base. When used in chewing gum, the gum base manufactured according to the method of the present invention imparts improved texture, stability and flavor to chewing gum utilizing HFO base.
Chewing gums having a HFO base manifest non-tack properties. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,574. However, the texture, stability and flavor of chewing gums incorporating HFO gum base is somewhat less desirable than chewing gums incorporating conventional low fat gum base. Clearly, if a method of manufacturing a chewing gum were developed wherein the chewing gum exhibited the non-tack properties of chewing gums having HFO base, as well as the texture, stability and flavor characterized by gums incorporating conventional low fat bases, it would experience great commercial success.